Stellar Nurseries Observed

The Orion Nebula is the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth, about 1,344 light-years away and visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in Orion's sword. Inside it, the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed hundreds of protoplanetary disks, showing that planet formation is a routine byproduct of star birth.

Other famous nurseries include the Carina Nebula and the Tarantula Nebula, the most active star-forming region in the Local Group. These regions show that star birth is not gentle — it involves violent shockwaves, intense radiation, and gravitational battles.